Matchmaker
by MissMelissa56
Summary: Cinderheart sits in on one of Firestar's Clan meetings and decides to play matchmaker...a JayxCinder oneshot! Please R&R. Rated T because I'm worried.


**Author's Note:**

**Hi! So, I'm MissMelissa, and this is my first story on FanFiction. I'm new...so no flaming, please? :3 And it's just a little one-shot of one of my favorite Warrior pairs...JayxCinder! 3 It's basically Cinderheart just matchmaking through the Clan...and I don't know exactly when this could occur...I guess it's just my fantasy ThunderClan. C: Thanks for reading, please review! :)**

**Oh, and I wrote this when I was a bit younger, and haven't read the most recent book yet. Please don't spoil it for me!**

Have fun reading! :)

* * *

Cinderheart sighed, her cinder-colored tail twitching irritably. Lionblaze sat beside her, thick arm twined around her thin waist. Firestar was giving _yet another_ lecture to the "new" warriors, meaning anyone younger than Whitewing. Cinderheart's eyes scanned the room, and found her sister, Poppyfrost, and her mate, Berrynose, sitting close together, Poppyfrost's head resting on Berrynose's shoulder. They had _kits_, for StarClan's sake! How were they considered _young_? Firestar was certainly starting to go crazy, or at least getting over-protective.

To her right sat Foxleap and Icecloud, holding hands. Cinderheart sighed as she remembered the sibling bond she used to share with Poppyfrost and Honeyfern. When Honeyfern had died and Poppyfrost had found a mate, everything changed. Now, Cinderheart often felt as if she was a third wheel when she was around the happy couple, and Poppyfrost never left Berrynose's side. She envied Icecloud and Foxleap.

Behind her, Cinderheart could hear Mousewhiker, Ivypool, and Bumblestripe deep in conversation, totally ignoring Firestar. Cinderheart suspected both boys secretly liked the pretty silver-haired girl, and she figured Ivypool liked at least one of them back, as the trio were virtually inseperable, best friends. Cinderheart secretly hoped the one Ivypool fancied was Mousewhiker, beacuase the match-maker in her was screaming for Bumblestripe to get together with Hazeltail, who sat next to her brother, Mousewhisker, ignored by the trio and staring at the gray-haired boy with a mixture of frustration and admiation. Cinderheart wished Bumblestripe would stop being so blind to the pretty girl.

To Lionblaze's left sat Rosepetal and Toadstep, Rosepetal whispering urgently to Blossomfall. Toadstep was admiring the his sister's tortishell-haired friend, and Cinderheart snorted. The girl was so oblivious to Toadstep's attention, and Toadstep, being the shy tom he secretly was, never made any move on the beautiful girl. Cinderheart found the couple cute, but imagined it would never happen. Besides, Toadstep also seemed to like Dovewing, who did not return the affection, though she seemed to sense that the unspoken bond was there.

Rosepetal was another story. Though the only boy she showed intrest in was her brother, Cinderheart knew Foxleap secretly admired the cream-haired girl. She sighed. Deep inside, she wished Foxleap would take intrest in Briarlight. Maybe that would keep her away from Jayfeather...NO! Shaking her head, Cinderheart made a desprate attempt to get the blind boy out of her thoughts. She decided to focus on Dovewing to get her mind off the healer.

Dovewing seemed to be oddly unattatched. She liked no one, and only Toadstep was interested in her. The gray-haired girl sat next to her sister, looking annoyed. Cinderheart didn't like the pale girl at all; she thought she was better than Ivypool, who had been Cinderheart's apprentice. She growled softly, secretly wishing Dovewing never got the kind of attention her beautiful sister was receiving (and deserved, where Dovewing didn't) from the boys.

Hollyleaf was sitting directly in front of Cinderheart, black tail swishing. Cinderheart knew Hollyleaf had liked Breezepelt when she thought Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw were her parents, but learning that the boy was her half-brother had turned the secret admiration into a sibling bond. Hollyleaf had no intrest in anyone else in the Clan, aside from maybe Mousewhisker, which made the Mouse-Bumble-Ivy love triangle into more of a love square, annoyingly. But the pretty black-haired girl deserved anyone in the Clan, Ivypool's "property" included.

Cinderheart glanced at Icecloud, who had her eyes focused on Lionblaze. Cinderheart smiled. The sweet white-haired girl had liked Lionblaze since she was an apprentice, but Lionblaze had other intrests. His arm was suddenly hot around her waist, and she felt guilty. She neither liked nor deserved the boy...she wished he would return the attention he was getting from the worthy blue-eyed Icecloud. Lionblaze was sweet to her, and she admired him, but...Cinderheart had another boy on her mind. Lionblaze's Healer brother: Jayfeather.

Cinderheart's cheeks flushed just thinking of the blind boy. He was everything she ever wanted, and everything she needed. But she knew they could never form a couple. Jayfeather was not allowed to take a mate, being a Healer. Tears formed in Cinderheart's blue eyes, though she knew she was being dramatic. She had a wonderful, admirable boy sitting right next to her, and he...he _loved_ her. But somehow, Cinderheart couldn't bring herself to tell him she loved him back. She couldn't lie to Lionblaze, and it would feel like betraying Jayfeather. Jayfeather was not at the meeting, since he was a Healer. Cinderheart wished he wasn't; then, his arm could be wrapped around her, not Lionblaze's.

"Remember: Loyalty is Key!" Firestar finished by reciting one of his "sayings". "That is all, have a good night, young warriors."

Lionblaze stood up, stretching. "Ready to go?" he asked, leading her away from the three rows of chairs.

"I guess," Cinderheart sighed, watching the cats stand up in pairs or trios.

"Are you going back to your room?" Lionblaze asked.

"How about a snack first?" Cinderheart murmured, watching Hollyleaf disappear into the kitchen. She wanted the comfort of a friend.

"I'll come with you," Lionblaze switched direction, roughly leading the small girl toward the kitchen.

"Hey, guys!" Hollyleaf called brightly as the couple entered the spice-smelling room. "How fun was that?" she muttered sarcastically.

"The most fun I've had since last moon's lecture!" Cinderheart broke away from Lionblaze and walked toward her friend at the fridge.

"Totally," Hollyleaf purred. "Hey, sleepover tonight?" she asked, tossing her friend a bottle of springwater.

Cinderheart purred, opening the water. "Sure!" She glanced at Lionblaze, who was arguing about something with Mousewhisker.

"We should escape while your bodyguard's occupied," Hollyleaf purred, grabbing Cinderheart's arm.

"And fast," Cinderheart agreed, dragging her friend out of the kitchen.

"You like?" Cinderheart stepped out of the closet clad in a tight-fitting long-sleeved nightshirt and a short sleep-skirt. Both were different shades of green, Hollyleaf's signature color. The color didn't accent her hair like her own signature color, blue, did, but she liked them anyway. They were...different than her usual clothes...tighter and more form-filling. Cinderheart promised herself she'd buy some later, even if Jayfeather was blind. She could still impress all the other boys, even if the only one she wanted couldn't see her at all.

"Love," Hollyleaf purred. She was wearing a strapless nightshirt and a very short pair of shorts, but still managed to look casual.

"You too," Cinderheart joined her friend on the white bed. Hollyleaf had switched the TV onto Jersey Shore, a show Cinderheart both loved and hated at the same time. "Mousewhisker would be impressed with that outfit," she couldn't resit adding, just to amuse herself.

Hollyleaf's eyes grew big. "H-how did you know about that?" she hissed.

"Guessed," Cinderheart purred, scooping a handful of popcorn from her friend's bowl.

"Guessed?" Hollyleaf repeated innocently. "Like I _guessed_ that you don't like Lionblaze at all and are secretly in love with Jayfeather?"

Now it was Cinderheart's turn. "H-how did you know?" she hissed.

"I told you: I guessed," Hollyleaf smirked, dragging one finger across the bottom of the empty popcorn bowl and licking the butter off it.

"Don't tell!" Cinderheart whispered urgently.

"I won't if you won't," Hollyleaf replied confidently.

"Fine," Cinderheart hissed dramatically. She would never tell anyone about Hollyleaf's crush, anyway.

"So you _really_ like Jayfeather?" Hollyleaf asked, turning away from the TV to face her friend.

"Yes," Cinderheart whispered, making eye contact.

"You really have to stop playing matchmaker," Hollyleaf purred suddenly.

Cinderheart's heart fluttered, and a moment of hystaria overtook her. She burst out laughing. Hollyleaf soon joined in, and the two friends embraced each other, laughing urgently over a simple, seven-word sentance. Cinderheart was glad she had Hollyleaf to turn to when she felt depressed.

The friends pulled away, and said nothing. They turned to the TV, holding hands. If Cinderheart couldn't have her sisters, Hollyleaf was the next-best thing. Probably even better. If there was one constant in Cinderheart's messed-up life, it was Hollyleaf, and she planned on keeping it that way. Losing the black-haired girl would be a mistake, and Cinderheart had precious little room for mistakes now. She promised herself never to let go of Hollyleaf, never to lose her. It might just kill her.

Jayfeather blushed as he listened to his sister and his secret love intrest laugh over him, ear pressed against the door.


End file.
